{"id":170535,"date":"2026-06-19T11:55:24","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T01:55:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/?p=170535"},"modified":"2026-06-19T15:21:53","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T05:21:53","slug":"house-of-rot-green-door-theatre-company-at-malthouse-theatre-and-hayes-theatre-musical-and-theatre-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/house-of-rot-green-door-theatre-company-at-malthouse-theatre-and-hayes-theatre-musical-and-theatre-review\/","title":{"rendered":"House of Rot (Green Door Theatre Company), at Malthouse Theatre and Hayes Theatre – musical and theatre review"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

A sensational, largely musical tribute to Grey Gardens, House of Rot resonates \u2026 and how, from the first note. Grey Gardens was a derelict 14-room mansion in the wealthy neighbourhood of East Hampton in New York. It was populated by two reclusive, upper-class women \u2013 a mother and daughter. Their names were Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale (known as Big Edie: 1895 \u20131977) and Edith Bouvier Beale (who went by the moniker Little Edie: 1917 \u2013 2002). Respectively, they were the aunt and first cousin of former US First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Photos by Gianna Rizzo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With limited funds, after Big Edie\u2019s husband left her, the pair lived together at the estate, in increasing squalor and isolation, for decades. Their living conditions were exposed in an article in the National Enquirer and a cover story in New York Magazine, in the early \u201870s. A documentary about the women, which let them tell their own stories, was released to critical acclaim in 1976. Fascination with Big Edie and Little Edie continued, resulting in a Broadway musical in 2006 and an HBO dramatised, biographical film in 2009.
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

Despite their living conditions, the two were known for their dignity, wit and charisma. Little Edie became a cult fashion icon. She wore idiosyncratic outfits and headscarves to cover her alopecia. Inspired by Grey Gardens, House of Rot honours the spirit of Big and Little Edie and their legacy as accidental queer icons. It captures their eccentricities, fusing absurdism with high camp from the cabaret canon.
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

The musical repertoire is timeless \u2013 from soulful ballads to up tempo pop, powerful and poignant, performed with sensitivity and soul. I speak of the likes of I Am What I Am, Tea For Two, Ageing, I Touch Myself and Young & Beautiful, just to name a few. The co-creators, director Dino Dimitriadis and musical director Victoria Falconer, have crafted something mighty special \u2013 stunning, complete with artistic flourishes.
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

The show begins with Falconer tickling the ivories with the Academy Award winning song The Windmills of Your Mind (which also closes the show). Thereafter enters Paul Capsis in a black shift as Big, and Adam Noviello dressed to the nines, also in all black, statuesque, complete with hood, as Little. Their playground is merely seven black wooden chairs, which they work on and around deftly.
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

Mind you the stagecraft in this show, complete with fog machines and stunning lighting design \u2013 white, yellow and red \u2013 by Brockman, is next level. Frankly, in toto I couldn\u2019t get enough of what was on offer. I speak of captivating, off the wall tales, mainly from Big, morphing into a succession of solo numbers and a few memorable duets from Capsis and Noviello.
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

Their singing voices are positively heavenly, combining depth with dynamism, leaving the audience transfixed. Falconer too shows her supreme talents, vocally, on piano and with a breathtaking violin break. House of Rot is a mesmerising homage, intimate, layered and pointed, a brilliant production that celebrates lives that don\u2019t conveniently fit the norm.
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

An hour of superb entertainment, I would readily see it again tomorrow. It is that damn good \u2013 unquestionably among the year\u2019s very best offerings. Plaudits all around. House of Rot is on at Merlyn Theatre, at Malthouse Theatre, until 20th June. It then moves to the Hayes Theatre from the 23rd to the 28th June, 2026.<\/p>\n

Alex First<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A sensational, largely musical tribute to Grey Gardens, House of Rot resonates \u2026 and how, from the first note. Grey Gardens was a derelict 14-room mansion in the wealthy neighbourhood of East Hampton in New York. It was populated by two reclusive, upper-class women \u2013 a mother and daughter. Their names were Edith Ewing Bouvier…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":170538,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[804,801],"tags":[8826,64,11598,332,11597,3440,852,8710],"class_list":["post-170535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music","category-theatre","tag-adam-noviello","tag-cabaret","tag-grey-gardens","tag-hayes-theatre","tag-house-of-rot","tag-malthouse-theatre","tag-paul-capsis","tag-victoria-falconer"],"yoast_head":"\nHouse of Rot (Green Door Theatre Company), at Malthouse Theatre and Hayes Theatre - musical and theatre review -<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/house-of-rot-green-door-theatre-company-at-malthouse-theatre-and-hayes-theatre-musical-and-theatre-review\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"House of Rot (Green Door Theatre Company), at Malthouse Theatre and Hayes Theatre - musical and theatre review -\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A sensational, largely musical tribute to Grey Gardens, House of Rot resonates \u2026 and how, from the first note. 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Outside Darwin,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Theatre"","block_context":{"text":"Theatre","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/category\/theatre\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/rsz_malthousetheatre_blacklight_photopiajohnson_014.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/rsz_malthousetheatre_blacklight_photopiajohnson_014.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/rsz_malthousetheatre_blacklight_photopiajohnson_014.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/rsz_malthousetheatre_blacklight_photopiajohnson_014.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":148707,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/chunky-moves-4-4-malthouse-theatre-dance-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":170535,"position":2},"title":"Chunky Move’s 4\/4 (Malthouse Theatre) – dance review","author":"Alex First","date":"August 9, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"4\/4 is characterised by a series of complex movements and maneuverings against a stark stage and backdrop.\u00a0It is black, white and grey all the way, save for the golden sun peeking through at the end.\u00a0This, against a strong and dynamic sound bed.\u00a04\/4 is a highly expressive work, with eight performers\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Theatre"","block_context":{"text":"Theatre","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/category\/theatre\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/rsz_grphoto_chunkymove44-dressrun_hires-16.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/rsz_grphoto_chunkymove44-dressrun_hires-16.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/rsz_grphoto_chunkymove44-dressrun_hires-16.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/rsz_grphoto_chunkymove44-dressrun_hires-16.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5710,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/brothers-wreck-malthouse-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":170535,"position":3},"title":"Brothers Wreck (Malthouse) – theatre review","author":"David Edwards","date":"June 16, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Darwin is sweltering and it's raining cats and dogs. Ruben\u2019s (Dion Williams) life is in the toilet.\u00a0A court has sentenced him to attend counselling after he hit a cop, but he isn\u2019t willing to play ball and he makes his situation worse.\u00a0He's full of resentment, struggling to cope with his\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Theatre"","block_context":{"text":"Theatre","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/category\/theatre\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Brothers-Wreck-03.jpg?fit=1024%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Brothers-Wreck-03.jpg?fit=1024%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Brothers-Wreck-03.jpg?fit=1024%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Brothers-Wreck-03.jpg?fit=1024%2C600&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8122,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/underground-railroad-game-malthouse-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":170535,"position":4},"title":"Underground Railroad Game (Malthouse) – theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"February 2, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Racism and lust are on the menu in the Malthouse Theatre's production of Underground Railroad Game. The Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early 19th Century. African-Americans used it to escape slavery in the South by travelling to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Theatre"","block_context":{"text":"Theatre","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/category\/theatre\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Underground-Railroad-Game-03.jpg?fit=1024%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Underground-Railroad-Game-03.jpg?fit=1024%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Underground-Railroad-Game-03.jpg?fit=1024%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Underground-Railroad-Game-03.jpg?fit=1024%2C600&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8184,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/barbara-and-the-camp-dogs-malthouse-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":170535,"position":5},"title":"Barbara and the Camp Dogs (Malthouse) – theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"February 11, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Barbara and the Camp Dogs pulls no punches. This is independent theatre with attitude. The two key figures in this play with music are Indigenous first cousins, Barbara and Renee. They've been brought up as sisters. Barbara\u2019s mother left her and her brother Joseph when Barbara was just seven years\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Theatre"","block_context":{"text":"Theatre","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/category\/theatre\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Barbara-Camp-Dogs-03.jpg?fit=1024%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Barbara-Camp-Dogs-03.jpg?fit=1024%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Barbara-Camp-Dogs-03.jpg?fit=1024%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Barbara-Camp-Dogs-03.jpg?fit=1024%2C600&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=170535"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170535\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/170538"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=170535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=170535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=170535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}